prosecutors have opened a preliminary investigation over Luis Rubiales after he kissed Jenni Hermoso at the final.
According to the , the prosecutors are looking into whether the incident involving the Spanish FA president amounts to a crime of sexual assault.
Rubiales was pictured grabbing Hermoso and kissing the player on the lips during ’s celebrations after beating in the World Cup final.
His actions have been widely condemned .
Hermoso and has confirmed that , while her international team-mates have joined her in solidarity.
RFEF chief Rubiales, 46, still remains in his post despite being .
An emergency assembly was called last Friday in which Rubiales was expected to resign, but instead he gave an astonishing speech in which he hit out at his critics and .
The RFEF later revealed they would be taking legal action against Hermoso and accused her of ‘lying’ about her version of events, even presenting images they claimed showed she had instigated the interaction and lifted the federation president off his feet.
Meanwhile, UEFA has rejected a request from the RFEF to have itself suspended by European football’s governing body.
RFEF complained to UEFA that the Spanish government was interfering in the running of its affairs.
But those complaints have been dismissed by UEFA and Spain’s top criminal court have now launched their preliminary probe into Rubiales’ actions.
‘Given the public statements made by Jennifer Hermoso, the sexual act she was subjected to by Luis Rubiales was not consensual,’ a statement said.
Legal experts will also contact the player ‘to offer her the option of legal action, giving her the chance to contact National Court prosecutors within 15 days for information about her rights as a victim of an alleged sexual assault should she wish to file a complaint’.
It added: ‘In order to proceed with a case for sexual assault, harassment or sexual abuse, it will be necessary for the injured party or their legal representative to file suit, or the public prosecutors’ office.’
